Harrison County EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality. This program is available to farmers and offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.

The following are Harrison County Resource Concerns to be addressed by EQIP:

Air Quality

• Objectionable Odors

• Particulate Matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM 10)

• Undesirable Air Movement

• Excessive Greenhouse Gas-CO2

Domestic Animals

• Inadequate Quantities and Quality of Feed and Forage

• Inadequate  Stock Water

Plant Condition

• Forage Quality and Palatability

• Noxious and Invasive Plants

• Productivity, Health and Vigor

Soil Condition

• Organic Matter Depletion

Soil Erosion

• Classic and/or Ephemeral Gully

• Sheet and Rill

• Streambank

Water Quality

• Excessive Nutrients and Organics in Surface water

• Excessive Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in Surface Water

• Harmful levels of Pathogens in Surface water

• Harmful levels of Pesticides in Surface water

Fish and Wildlife

• Inadequate space/water/cover/shelter

• T&E Species:  Declining species, species of concern

These resource concerns address the following National EQIP priorities:

1. Reduction of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediments, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources.

2. Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable high levels on agricultural land.

The goal of the locally led group was to recommend a ranking system that rewarded and gave priority to those producers that help most to address the above resource concerns. Applicants who develop resource management system (RMS) plans, which address all the resource concerns on all the land on the farm or tract, will rank higher than a producer who does not agree to apply an RMS.  The ranking will be completed for the specific practices to be applied through the EQIP contract. Sign-up is continuous at the NRCS field office. Application ranking will be done periodically as funding allocations become available, will be announced through the NRCS State Office, and will be publicized by all levels of NRCS. The NRCS may establish local, minimum ranking cut-off levels for funding selection.

The local work group also recommended a list of conservation practices that are the most cost-effective, longest duration, and help most to address these priority resource concerns in the District. They also recommended that the allocation be divided into 5 pots of money; these pots are soil erosion, plant condition, summer construction, Elk Creek priority area, and water quality.

The local work group would also like to give the Losses Hills Region and Willow Watershed in Harrison County priority in the ranking process to address Plant condition, Soil Erosion and/or Water Quality concerns.

For more information on EQIP and other NRCS administrated programs, contact the Harrison County USDA Service Center located at 2710 Highway 127, P.O. BOX 202 Logan, and Iowa 51546-0202. Phone (712) 644-2210. Fax (712) 644-3247.

The following files require Acrobat Reader.

EQIP Practice List - 2009
EQIP Application Ranking - 2009
EQIP Nutrient Management Intensity Options - 2009
EQIP Pest Management Intensity Options - 2009   

EQIP Practice List - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2008    For Archival Purposes Only

EQIP Practice List - 2007    For Archival Purposes Only
EQIP Application Ranking - 2007   For Archival Purposes Only

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